Stamping-die mechanism.



A. W. ERICKSON.

STAMPING DIE MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 8. 19m.

Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

INVENTOR- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT W. ERICKSON, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WEBER- ERICKSON-BUNTING COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORA- TION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

STAMPING-DIE MECHANISM.

Application filed May 8, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT W. ERIoKsoN, a citizen of the United States, and residing in the city of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered new and useful Improvements in Stamping-Die Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists in new and useful improvements in steel stamping or impression dies.

More particularly, it comprises new and improved means for mounting and securing the interchangeable dies in the holder, the object being to provide means whereby the individual dies of a combination may e re moved from the holder and others substituted without disturbing the remaining dies or requiring any adjustment of the holder or its receiving socket.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the die holder with the dies mounted therein; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a similar View partially in section along the line IIIIII in Fig. 1; Fig. at is a butt end view of the die holder with the dies mounted therein; Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line VV in Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is an inner face view of the spring box removed from the holder; and Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5, showing a modification.

The following is a detailed description of the drawings, reference being first had to Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive.

A is the die holder which may be of any character, such, for instance, as one adapted to be struck by a hammer or to be inserted in a press. Said holder is provided at its butt end with an inwardly extending die socket B which may be conveniently formed by cutting a slot transversely of the end of the holder and to the depth required, and closing the ends of said slot with side plates 1 riveted or otherwise attached in place.

C represents the dies, provided, as usual, at their outer ends with the desired characters or figures, and inserted longitudinally, side by side, into the socket B, the butt ends of said dies bearing against the rear wall of the socket B.

The socket is made of proper length to accommodate the number of individual dies required, and of a width equal to the thick- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

Serial No. 167,278.

ness of the dies, so that the given number of dies fill the socket B. Where the number of characters to be impressed is less than the number of dies required to fill the socket B, blank dies, shorter than the marking dies, may be used as spacers or fillers in the socket.

Each of said dies C is provided on one of its faces, preferably its top edge, with a rounded recess 2, which, when the die is in place in the socket, registers with a circular bore 3 cut through, the wall of the socket from the outside. In each of said bores is seated a pin a, headed to prevent its dropping down through the bore, and long enough to have its inner rounded end seated in the recess 2 in the corresponding die, when the die is in place, or to extend down into the socket when the die is not in place.

D is a boX removably attached to the holder A, as by the screws 5, or made integral with said holder, as may be found most convenient, and provided with a series of seats 6 bored into the inner face and registering with the bores 3 in the wall of the socket B. Said seats 6 are deep enough to receive helical springs T which bear against the heads of the pins a and hold the same normally extended into the socket B, and, in case the socket is occupied by the dies C, in engagement with the recesses 2.

Thus, when the dies are inserted in the socket B in the desired engagement and combination, each of said pins a will be forced outwardly against its spring 7 by the entering butt of the corresponding die, and will be held retracted until said butt reaches the back wall of the socket B, whereupon the pin will drop into the recess 2 of the die.

The engagement of said pin with the die will hold the latter in place against accidental dislodgment from the socket, for it requires a sharp outward pull on the die to disengage the pin from the die, and thus permit the die to be withdrawn. Thus, the die is automatically locked in the socket by its insertion therein and can only be withdrawn therefrom by a sharp longitudinal pull. The use of the holder and dies in marking operations will not dislodge the dies from the socket, but the former will be held snugly in place in the holder until intentionally withdrawn. All of the dies may be installed in or removed from the socket at one operation, or any one or more of the dies may be installed or removed without disturbing the other.

In Fig. 7, I show a modification wherein balls at are substituted for the pins 4, the inner ends of the bores 3 being sufficiently contracted to prevent the balls dropping through into the socket but permitting said balls to protrude sufliciently into said socket to en age the recesses 2 in the dies.

Also the spring boX is formed integral with the holder, the bores 3 being bored through from the outside of the holder and of suiiicient length to accommodate the helical springs, a face plate 8 being provided to cover the outer ends of the bores and to prevent the springs and balls dropping out.

The device is inexpensive and durable, and. greatly expedites and simplifies the use of interchangeable marking dies.

IV hat I desire to claim is 1. In a marking device, the combination of a holder provided with a die socket and a plurality of bores intersecting said socket, an equal number of dies adapted to be inserted into said socket and having recesses registering with said bores, a pin member in each of said bores, and individual resilient means for each of said pins whereby they are separately pressed into ngagement with the corresponding recesses, for the purpose described.

2. In a marking device, the combination of a holder provided with a die socket, and a plurality of bores intersecting said socket, an equal number of dies adapted to be inserted in said socket and each provided with a recess which registers with one of said bores, and members in each of said bores adapted, to engage the recess in the corresponding die, and a helical spring for each of said members carried by said holder and forcing said member into resilient engage ment with the recess in the corresponding die, for the purpose described.

3. In a marking device, the combination of a holder provided with a die socket, and a plurality of bores intersecting said socket, an equal number of dies adapted to be inserted into said socket, and each provided with a recess which registers with one of said bores, a member in each of said bores adapted to engage the recess of the corresponding die, said holder being provided with a plurality of spring seats, one of said seats registering with each of said bores, and a helical spring mounted in each of said seats and holding the corresponding member in resilient engagement with the recess in the corresponding die, for the purpose described.

Signed at Pittsburgh, Penna, this 3rd day of May, 1917.

ALBERT WV. ERICKSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

